Cryptomonas is the name-giving genus of the Cryptomonads established by German biologist Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg in 1831.[1] The algae are common in freshwater habitats and brackish water worldwide and often form blooms in greater depths of lakes.[2] The cells are usually brownish or greenish in color and are characteristic of having a slit-like furrow at the anterior.[2] They are not known to produce any toxins. They are used to feed small zooplankton, which is the food source for small fish in fish farms.[2] Many species of Cryptomonas can only be identified by DNA sequencing.[3][4]Cryptomonas can be found in several marine ecosystems in Australia and South Korea.[2][5]
^Lee, JJ (2000). Illustrated Guide to the Protozoa. 2nd ed. New Jersey: Wiley-Blackwell.
^Hoef-Emden, Kerstin; Melkonian, Michael (2003). "Revision of the Genus Cryptomonas (Cryptophyceae): a Combination of Molecular Phylogeny and Morphology Provides Insights into a Long-Hidden Dimorphism". Protist. 154 (3–4): 371–409. doi:10.1078/143446103322454130. PMID14658496.
^Hill, D. R. A. (1991-03-01). "A revised circumscription of Cryptomonas (Cryptophyceae) based on examination of Australian strains". Phycologia. 30 (2): 170–188. doi:10.2216/i0031-8884-30-2-170.1.